PCE Instruments PCE-WMT 200 Wood Moisture Meter User Manual

: June 9, 2024
: PCE Instruments

Table of Contents

Wood Moisture Meter PCE-WMT 200
Safety notes
Introduction
Technical specifications
Device description
System requirements
First steps
Description of the user interface
Operation
PCE Instruments contact information
Documents / Resources

PCE-WMT 200 Wood Moisture Meter
User Manual

PCE Instruments PCE-WMT 200 Wood Moisture -

Wood Moisture Meter PCE-WMT 200

User manuals in various languages can be found by using our product search on: www.pce-instruments.com

www.pce-instruments.com

Safety notes

Acquaint yourself with the operation of the measuring device before using it in combination with the app. For this purpose, use this instruction manual. All safety notes have to be observed when using the meter only as well as when the device is used with the app. The device and the app may only be used by qualified personnel. Damage or injuries caused by non-observance of the manual are excluded from our liability and not covered by our warranty.

The device must only be used as described in this instruction manual. If used otherwise, this can cause dangerous situations for the user and damage to the meter.
The instrument may only be used if the environmental conditions (temperature, relative humidity, …) are within the ranges stated in the technical specifications. Do not expose the device to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, extreme humidity or moisture.
Do not expose the device to shocks or strong vibrations.
The case should only be opened by qualified PCE Instruments personnel.
Never use the instrument when your hands are wet.
You must not make any technical changes to the device.
The appliance should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Use only pH-neutral cleaner, no abrasives or solvents.
The device must only be used with accessories from PCE Instruments or equivalent.
Before each use, inspect the case for visible damage. If any damage is visible, do not use the device.
Do not use the instrument in explosive atmospheres.
Non-observance of the safety notes can cause damage to the device and injuries to the user.

We do not assume liability for printing errors or any other mistakes in this manual. We expressly point to our general warranty terms which can be found in our general terms ofbusiness. If you have any questions, please contact PCE Instruments. The contact details can be found atthe end of this manual.

Symbol	Designation / description
Warning: hand injuries. Non-observance can cause hand injuries due to

bruising, etc.
| Warning: sharp-pointed object. Non-observance can cause stab wounds.

Introduction

The PCE-WMT 200 is an electronic wood moisture meter with a Bluetooth interface that allows moisture measurements to be made using a smartphone or tablet. With the wood moisture meter, up to 44 different types of wood can be checked for their moisture content. These include 36 hardwoods and 8 softwoods. In addition, the PCE-WMT 200 is equipped with a temperature sensor that measures the ambient temperature. This has the advantage that the measured wood moisture is adapted to the temperature. The PCE-WMT 200 is particularly suitable for use in wood processing plants.

2.1 Temperature compensation
With the help of the integrated temperature compensation, it is also possible to measure cold andheated wood accurately without the need for a manual chart correction. The PCE-WMT 200 offersthe advantage that the temperature compensation is carried out automatically during ameasurement and the user can also carry out manual compensation. Temperature compensationis possible at temperatures from -20 to 50 °C. This means that even frozen wood can be checkedfor its moisture content.
2.2 Unsuitable measuring environments

Environment with permanently excessive humidity (>85 %).
Environment with dust, flammable gases, vapours or solvents
Environments with permanently too low (<-20 °C) and too high temperatures (>50 °C)

2.4 Wood moisture equilibrium and normal moisture content
Wood is a hygroscopic material and reacts to fluctuations in the air humidity. If the air humidity drops, the water content in the wood also drops and vice versa. This means that there is a constant relationship between the air humidity and the wood moisture. This relationship is called wood moisture equilibrium. The normal moisture content is understood to be the wood moisture content that occurs in a normal climate with an ambient temperature of 20 °C and a relative humidity of 65 %. Further values can be seen in chart 1 below.

Relative humidity in %| | | | | | | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---
90 %| 21.0| 21.0| 21.0| 20.8| 20.0| 19.8| 19.3|
85 %| 18.1| 18.0| 18.0| 17.9| 17.5| 17.1| 16.9|
80 %| 16.2| 16.0| 16.0| 15.8| 15.5| 15.1| 14.9|
75 %| 14.7| 14.5| 14.3| 14.0| 13.9| 13.5| 13.2|
70 %| 13.2| 13.1| 13.0| 12.8| 12.4| 12.1| 11.8|
65 %| 12.0| 12.0| 11.8| 11.5| 11.2| 11.0| 10.7|
60 %| 11.0| 10.9| 10.8| 10.5| 10.3| 10.0| 9.7|
55 %| 10.1| 10.0| 9.9| 9.7| 9.4| 9.1| 8.8|
50 %| 9.4| 9.0| 9.0| 8.9| 8.6| 8.4| 8.0|
45 %| 8.6| 8.4| 8.3| 8.1| 7.9| 7.5| 7.1|
40 %| 7.8| 7.7| 7.5| 7.3| 7.0| 6.6| 6.3|
35 %| 7.0| 6.9| 6.7| 6.4| 6.2| 5.8| 5.5|
30 %| 6.2| 6.1| 5.9| 5.6| 5.3| 5.0| 4.7|
25 %| 5.4| 5.3| 5.0| 4.8| 4.5| 4.2| 3.8|
| 10 °C| 15 °C| 20 °C| 25 °C| 30 °C| 35 °C| 40 °C| Temperature in °C

Chart 1: Equilibrium moisture values

Technical specifications

Material|
---|---
Hardwoods| Measurement range
Maple| 7.9 … 150 %
American birch| 6.4 … 150 %
Basla| 7.3 … 150 %
Sycamore maple| 7.9 … 150 %
Birch| 8.1 … 150 %
Beech| 7.2 … 150 %
Real mahogany| 6.7 … 150 %
Sweet chestnut| 8.1 … 150 %
Alder| 8.1 … 150 %
Ash| 8.1 … 150 %
False acacia| 8.1 … 150 %
Yellow birch| 6.4 … 150 %
Hornbeam| 8.1 … 150 %
European hornbeam| 8.1 … 150 %
Canadian birch| 8.1 … 150 %
Cherry tree| 8.1 … 150 %
Walnut| 8.1 … 150 %
Poplar| 6.8 … 150 %
Plum tree| 8.1 … 150 %
Plane| 7.1 … 150 %
Black locust| 8.1 … 150 %
European beech| 7.2 … 150 %
Black alder| 8.1 … 150 %
Sipo| 9.7 … 150 %
Stone beech| 8.1 … 150 %
English oak| 7.0 … 150 %
Teak| 6.8 … 150 %
Sessile oak| 7.0 … 150 %
Elm| 8.0 … 150 %
Willow| 6.1 … 150 %
White maple| 7.9 … 150 %
White birch| 8.1 … 150 %
White beech| 8.1 … 150 %
Sugar birch| 8.1 … 150 %
Damson plum| 8.1 … 150 %
Softwoods
Douglas fir| 6.6 … 150 %
Spruce, common| 8.1 … 150 %
Pine| 6.6 … 150 %
Larch| 7.5 … 150 %
Central European spruce| 8.1 … 150 %
Scandinavian spruce| 8.1 … 150 %
Fir| 8.5 … 150 %
Cypress| 6.7 … 150 %

The moisture content is based on the dry matter at a temperature of 20 °C / 68 °F

More building materials

Building moisture (digit display)| 11 … 200 digits
Wood fibre insulation board| 6.8 … 150 %
Chipboard| 3.5 … 150 %
Further specifications
Resolution| 0.10%
Resolution digit display| 1
Repeatability| ± 0.5 %
Temperature compensation| 20 … 50 °C / -4 … 122 °F, manual / automatic
Measuring principle| Electrical resistance measurement
Sensor type| Ram electrode
Pairs of needles maximum penetration depth| 45 x Ø3.05 mm: 30 mm
165 x Ø2.85 mm: 150 mm
Protection class| IP 52
Power supply| 9 V block battery /9 V DC, 1 A mains connection
Interface| Bluetooth 4.0
Cable length| Approx. 1 m / 39.4 in
Power consumption| Max. 1 A
Dimensions
Ram electrode:| 332 x Ø45 mm / 13.1 x Ø1.8 in
Meter:| 175 x 90 x 35 mm / 6.9 x 3.5 x 1.4 in
Pair of needles:| 45 x Ø3.05 mm / 1.8 x Ø0.1 in
165 x Ø2.85 mm / 6.5 x Ø0.1 in
Weight| Ram electrode: 1677 g / 3.7 lbs
Meter: 250 g / 0.6 lbs

Device description

Handle
Impact device
Electrode head
Electrode nuts
Discs for insulating the measuring needles
Measuring needles
On/off switch
BNC connection for the ram electrode
Socket for the power supply
Battery compartment

System requirements

5.1 Android

Android version 9 Pie (API 28) or higher
Bluetooth interface (version 4.2)
Screen size 5.71 inches
A minimum resolution of 1520×720 pixels
Processor: ARM Cortex-A53, 2000 MHz, 4 co
2 GB RAM recommended

5.2 iOS

Current iOS version
Bluetooth interface (version 4.2• Screen size 5.8 inches
2GB RAM

First steps

6.1 Information about moisture measurement
The PCE-WMT 200 works according to the proven method of electrical resistance or conductivity measurement. In this measuring method, the resistance is dependent on the wood moisture. This means that the drier the wood, the greater the resistance will be. The higher the water content in the wood, the lower the resistance and the more conductive the wood. To obtain reliable measurement results, the measurements should be carried out at several spots on the selected samples.
6.1.1 Measuring parameters
The wood moisture measurement depends on the following parameters.

Type of wood
Temperature of the wood
Moisture of the wood

To determine the correct temperature of the wood, it is recommended to store the test piece in the measuring environment for a longer period of time. This allows the meter automatically determine the temperature of the wood based on the ambient temperature.
6.1.2 How to determine the mean wood moisture
In practice, the mean wood moisture content is decisive for assessing the wood moisture content. The mean wood moisture is determined as the arithmetic mean of the results of the measurements carried out per piece of wood with the following impact depth of the electrodes:

Impact depth 5 mm to determine the surface moisture
Impact depth 1/2 of the wood thickness to determine the core moisture
Impact depth 1/3 of the wood thickness: ideal measuring depth to determine the median wood moisture

At an impact depth of 30 % of the wood thickness, the results of the individual measurements come closest to the value of the mean wood moisture content.
6.1.3 Use of insulated electrodes
Due to the severe influence of surface moisture and possible moisture differences across the cross-section of the wood, only electrodes with intact insulation should be used. This ensures that the wood moisture content can also be determined in deeper areas without falsifying the measured values.

6.1.4 Measuring direction perpendicular to the wood fibre
Contrary to the recommendation of DIN EN 13183-1, it is recommended to place the electrodes perpendicular to the fibre. This allows the meter to overmeasure fibre strands with different moisture contents so that the measurement results are not negatively influenced.

6.1.5 Requirements for the measuring spot
Before the measurement, the measuring position must be visually inspected. The measuring spot must be free of visible defects that could negatively influence the measurement, such as cracks, bark, branches, resin pockets, wood preservatives, flame retardants or chemical treatment agents.

6.1.6 Measuring distance and frequency
Preferably, the measurement should be made at a distance of approx. 30 cm from the end and between the measuring spots of a sample. If the sample is smaller than 60 cm, measurements are made in the middle of the sample. The following measurement frequency is required by DIN EN 13183-2.

Number of samples to be tested	1	2	3	4	5	>5
Number of measurements per piece	3	3	2	2	2	1

The measuring positions should be selected randomly along the length with a minimum distance of 30 cm to the front of the sample.
6.2 Ram electrode
The included ram electrode, consisting of a slide hammer and the corresponding measuring tips, must be assembled before use. To do this, screw the measuring tips into the screw fixtures provided. Make sure that the electrode nuts are screwed tightly to prevent injuries during use. Drive the impact electrode into the wood to be measured. The impact depth of the electrode should be one third of the wood thickness, see figure 2. Note that measuring tips must be placed perpendicular to the wood fibre. Then connect the meter to the measuring electrode, see figure
ATTENTION: There is a risk of bruising if the ram electrode is used improperly.
ATTENTION: If the ram electrode is used improperly, there is a risk of injury from the measuring tips.

7 Installation of the mobile application
Please download the app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and install it on your smartphone. Then check and grant the access permissions for location, Bluetooth and memory.

Description of the user interface

The main window is composed of two sections. In the upper toolbar, there is a menu button on the left which opens a side menu. The side menu contains menu items for software and company information. More detailed information about these menu items will follow below. Below the toolbar, there are six buttons, each representing a functionality.

Main menu

Disconnet

| Disconnect device
| Back to main menu
“Measure“ window

| Initiate new measurement
| Back to main menu

| Open settings
Material| Open material selection

Start

Operation

10.1 First use of the app
Before the meter can work with the app, make sure that Bluetooth is activated. Furthermore, the access permissions for location and memory must be granted. These are used exclusively to earch for Bluetooth devices in the direct vicinity and to save the measurement data to the martphone as PDF files. The permissions can be granted, depending on the device, via Settings > Apps -> PCE-WMT 200-> Permissions. After the access permissions have been granted, the app can be used to its full extent.
10.2 Connect to the meter
After starting the app, a Bluetooth connection to the meter can be established. It must be ensured hat the smartphone and the meter are not more than 5 … 10 m apart. To establish the connection, navigate to the corresponding menu by tapping on “Connection” in the main menu. Bluetooth onnections can be managed under “Connection”. To establish a connection, a suitable meter must be searched for. This can be initiated by tapping on the “SEARCH DEVICE” button. The devices found are then displayed in a list, see figure.

Once the meter has been found (e. g. PCE-WMT 200), a connection can be established by tapping on the meter in the list. After the connection has been successfully established, the user immediately receives a confirmation on the display that the devices are connected and is forwarded directly to the main menu.
10.3 Disconnect from the meter Tap on the icon to disconnect the meter. Closing the app while the Bluetooth connection is active disconnects the devices. The devices should always be disconnected from each other after use, as described above, before closing the mobile application. This is to ensure correct functionality of the device.

Make a measurement
The menu item “Measure”, which can be reached from the main menu, offers the possibility to perform a measurement. Before making the first measurement, ensure that there is an active Bluetooth connection between the smartphone and the meter. Due to the different characteristics of the devices, the procedure for carrying out a measurement differs depending on the device. Immediately after opening the window, a dialogue box appears where the measurement must be named and confirmed. The devices are then in measurement mode and the measured values are displayed in the user interface.

11.1 Display of the measured values
Depending on the selected material, different measured values are displayed with their units.
11.2 Internationalisation
Depending on the language set on your smartphone, the language and formatting are displayed in German or English respectively.
12 Share measurement data
All performed measurements can be shared via all common messengers as a PDF file. To do so, call up the menu item “Share” in the main menu. The window contains a list of all measurements that have been made. The desired measurements can be marked accordingly by placing check marks.

After tapping on the button, you can select the desired export format. An options dialogue opens to select the desired messenger. After the selection, the measurements are attached as PDF or CSV documents and can be sent.

13 Save measurement data
All measurements made are saved to a database in the memory of the smartphone. These can be viewed, edited or deleted at any time. To do this, call up the menu item “Data” in the main menu. This view contains all measurement data named according to the time stamp of the measurement. Since the mobile application works with several devices, you must select the meter the measurements of which you want displayed. Each measurement can be renamed or deleted via the associated options. Furthermore, it is possible to view the measured values by tapping on the desired measurement.
In the overview of the saved measurement data, the individual values are shown in a chart.
Here, the measured values can be sorted by value by tapping on the respective column heading.
14 Export series of measurements
Series of measurements can be exported via the menu item “Export“ in the main menu. In the “Export” window, individual series of measurements can be selected and then exported by tapping on the button. A progress bar is displayed while the data is being processed for export. After processing, the series of measurements are saved to the “PCE” folder of the file system of your smartphone as a PDF or CSV file.
15 Contact
If you have any questions, suggestions or technical problems, please do not hesitate to contact us. You will find the relevant contact information at the end of this user manual.
16 Disposal
For the disposal of batteries in the EU, the 2006/66/EC directive of the European Parliament applies. Due to the contained pollutants, batteries must not be disposed of as household waste. They must be given to collection points designed for that purpose.
In order to comply with the EU directive 2012/19/EU we take our devices back. We either reuse them or give them to a recycling company which disposes of the devices in line with law.
For countries outside the EU, batteries and devices should be disposed of in accordance with your local waste regulations.
If you have any questions, please contact PCE Instruments.

www.pce-instuments.com

PCE Instruments contact information

United Kingdom
PCE Instruments UK Ltd
Unit 11 Southpoint Business Park
Ensign Way, Southampton
Hampshire
United Kingdom, SO31 4RF
Tel: +44 (0) 2380 98703 0
Fax: +44 (0) 2380 98703 9
info@pce-instruments.co.uk
www.pce-instruments.com/english| United States of America
PCE Americas Inc.
1201 Jupiter Park Drive, Suite 8
Jupiter / Palm Beach
33458 FL
USA
Tel: +1 561-320-9162
Fax: +1 561-320-9176
info@pce-americas.com
---|---
Germany
PCE Deutschland GmbH
Im Langel 4
D-59872 Meschede
Deutschland
Tel.: +49 (0) 2903 976 99 0
Fax: +49 (0) 2903 976 99 29
info@pce-instruments.com
www.pce-instruments.com/deutsch| France
PCE Instruments France EURL
23, rue de Strasbourg
67250 Soultz-Sous-Forets
France
Téléphone: +33 (0) 972 3537 17
Numéro de fax: +33 (0) 972 3537 18
info@pce-france.fr
www.pce-instruments.com/french

** User manuals in various languages
português, nederlands, türk, polski, русский, 中文) can be found by
using our product search on: www.pce-instruments.com
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
© PCE Instruments**

Documents / Resources

| PCE Instruments PCE-WMT 200 Wood Moisture Meter [pdf] User Manual
PCE-WMT 200 Wood Moisture Meter, PCE-WMT 200, Wood Moisture Meter, Moisture Meter
---|---